JOLLYBLOGGER has continued his series on Calvinism, which I am tagging along with by saying “We Calvinists affirm that man has a free will. “. He then goes on to circumscribe the limits that our will is put under in the rest of the post. So which is it David, are our wills “totally free” or do they rather have limited freedom?
I believe that there is no such thing as a totally free will except God’s, and I am very greatful to God for that. I do believe in a circumscribed human vollition that gives us responsibility. I just dont believe that it is totally free. Our wills are actually very limited in lots of ways.
For a start we cannot will something impossible (unlike God!). However much I might wish I could fly like Superman I wont be able to! Secondly, our wills are incredibly limited by the ‘norms’ of those around us. How many teens believe they are excercising their own ‘free will’ as they flock to the shops to buy the same designer clothes as all their freinds? Thirdly our wills are limited by our upbringing. There is no doubt it is infinitely harder to make choices that differ dramatically than those our parents have made. If a child is brought up in a certain way or has certain experiences as a child they are far more likely to act in a certain way as a result. Also, and this I praise God for, our wills are constrained. Since we are by nature evil, the constraints God puts on our wills are a real mercy or else there would be much more reape and murder for example.
I thank God that I dont have the free will to reject him now he has saved me. I thank him that he has guarded my fragile will by making sure I have never been seriously faced with certain temptations that many others face daily. I thank him that the wills even of my enemies can be limited or moulded by God.
God frustrates the will of his enemies. He defeats their plans. He laughs at our rebellion (Ps 2) and woos us even against our expressed will to love him.
So, yes I believe in human responsibility but NOT in human “free” will. I thank God that my will is not free, but am humbled by the fact that I know I will be hold to account not just for my actions, but also for the deliberate choices I make to dwell on wrong thoughts. I thank him that he turned my will towards him and that he has forgiven me for the sins my will continues to lead me into, but that he doesnt give my will free reign in my life.
A sovereign God knows when to allow our plans to succeed and when to frustrate the decisions of our wills, and for that I am eternally greatful
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In